GUBERNA Summer School 2023

The GUBERNA Summer School is part of our permanent education programmes and intends to keep our certified directors up-to-date.

Last year we focused on sustainability from a broader perspective, this year we look at the people who are responsible for sculpting such a (sustainable) future: the board, its directors; and the tools they have to do that.  

Our GUBERNA Summer School is a yearly moment to reflect on the latest trends and developments within governance. “Nothing is certain in this world”: the idiom seems more true than ever in 2023. However, uncertainty cannot stop us from thinking about the future. In times of turbulence, foresight and reflection are perhaps heavily under pressure, but they remain nonetheless essential. The popularity of scenario-planning in strategic decisions is telling in this respect. Boards have the responsibility to anticipate the future, but how can directors do that as efficiently as possible? What would be an appropriate level of engagement with sustainability? 

During the GUBERNA Summer School, we approach this question from two angles: how can a board anticipate the future leadership of the company, in other words, how do you select a CEO who is fit for purpose? What would be the Board and CEO perspectives for a successful CEO succession? Yet also, how can you adapt your Board itself for the future? How do you anticipate and prepare the right mindset for this, so that you remain aligned with the other players in the governance tripod, as well as your stakeholders, over the long term? In particular how do you converse with the younger generations? Do you include the next generation in your Board? What would be the various perspectives to be considered for a successful transition? 

We're very happy to announce our international speaker Prof. Dr. Thomas Keil, one of the authors of the book "The Next CEO: Board and CEO Perspectives for Successful CEO Succession” who has developed an intensive program exclusively for GUBERNA. He will share with us, and in preview, the results of his research and forthcoming book (to be published in 2024): What's your next board?  

In the afternoon, we translate their perspectives to the Belgian contexts by a keynote and testimonials of directors, leading entrepreneurs and experts.